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Apollo Bay Music Festival 2015

The annual Apollo Bay Music Festival takes place in the town of Apollo Bay, on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. The festival, which celebrates its 23rd year in 2015, attracts an audience from Melbourne, across Australia and internationally, making it one of the must-do events in Victoria. The festival line-up is always an eclectic and diverse mix of music with both national and international performers taking to the stage to perform pop and rock, jazz and country, jazz, blues and roots.

Hitting the Right Note

The first Apollo Bay Music Festival took place in 1992 and was, from the start, a community-led event. The idea behind it was to bring the world to this beautiful but remote part of the world, leading revellers off the beaten track from the stunning Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay. The management and organisation of the fast-growing festival is still in the hands of local volunteers, a testament to their vision and dedication for the event.

The event takes place over three days on the last weekend in April every year. The 2015 Apollo Bay Festival will be held from 27 February to March 1 and is expected to welcome 4,500 - 5,000 festival-goers over the weekend with another 3,000 participating in the hundreds of free events that also take place along the Apollo Bay foreshore.

A total of 11 venues, including two marquees on the beach, are involved in the event with more than 70 musical acts representing virtually every genre performing over the three days. Acts that have performed at the festival include Robyn Hitchcock with Peter Buck of REM, the Whitlams, Eddi Reader, Tex Perkins and the John Butler Trio, reflecting the eclectic nature of the event.

The festival is not confined to musical performers, and over the years its programme has expanded to include multi-art forms such as theatre, comedy, dance, film and literature.

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

The popularity of the festival means it sells out quickly so it’s best to plan both your tickets and your accommodation in Apollo Bay as far ahead as possible. A weekend pass called the Early Albatross is a weekend pass with entry to all venues and its price includes two children under the age of 15 to accompany each ticket-holding adult. Day tickets go on sale in February. Camping facilities are available for those who want to camp over the festival weekend.

Apollo Bay is around three hours’ drive from Melbourne, situated between Lorne and Otway on the Great Ocean Road.

Combine your trip to the festival with some serious R&R and sightseeing – Apollo Bay has some superb beaches perfect for swimming and surfing, and its working harbour is ideal for deep-sea fishing trips. The scenic Great Ocean Road offers wonderful opportunities for exploring the region, such as the rainforests of the Otways where you’ll also find the oldest lighthouse at Cape Otway.